2022 Formula One

I’m keen to see hamilton wi just one more F1 race.

It’ll make him the only driver in F1 history to have won a race after completing 300 starts. Other drivers have started 300 F1 races, but none has ever won a race after that many starts.

He’d have completed the full sweep by now were it not for Mercedes giving him a skip to drive this year. As it stands, the dignified thing to do would be pack it in at the end of this year, drive sports cars or oval circuits or whatever, then console himself with his sea-of-cash. He’s achieved so much, there’s nothing left to prove, may as well take a break from all the hate he gets.

And he’d have won as many as he has this year if he wasn’t lucky enough to be in the best car almost every year he raced, don’t forget.

The car is the star.

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Yep, that was implicit - your mantra is firmly entrenched with me Frank - proof-of-the-pudding and all that! :wink:

On that wider theme - if Ferrari didn’t have reliability-issues and a self-harmer’s approach to tactics - which car do you think is the best this year: RBR or Ferrari?

Issues aside, they do seem to have quite different strengths and weaknesses, which appear to play-out unpredictably (from a mug-punter’s POV) on different tracks.

Shame but not unexpected.

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That’s a shame. RBR-era Seb was annoying, but the humbler and more considerate version has been a joy to behold.

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It’s no secret that Porsche will enter Formula 1 in 2026 as a partner “on an equal footing” with Red Bull, but it’s now official.

This week saw publication of approval of an application that Porsche AG and Red Bull GmbH have jointly submitted, with plans for Porsche to acquire (not necessarily ‘buy’) 50% of the shares in the Red Bull Formula 1 program. (Some very careful wording here.)

This had to be reported to the antitrust authorities in 20 or so countries outside the European Union. Moroccan legislation, for example, states such applications are subject to a publication obligation after approval.

The original plan for an official announcement of the joint project at the recent Austrian Grand Prix was postponed because the FIA ​​​​Motorsport World Council didn’t approve the 2026 engine regulations from 2026 as expected, and finalized engine regulations are a basic requirement for Porsche to officially announce entry into Formula 1.

this means Porsche will enter Formula 1 as a supplier of the powertrain, and as a 50% partner of Red Bull. This means large parts of the power unit can be developed and built under one roof at Red Bull Powertrains in Milton Keynes.

The sister team AlphaTauri will probably also start with Porsche power but will remain 100% in the hands of Red Bull GmbH.

Audi, whose entry into Formula 1 has already been approved by all the necessary bodies is not as far along with its project as Porsche, and are still negotiating with Sauber owner Finn Rausing about acquiring 75 percent of the team’s shares.

On April 7 2022, the Supervisory Board of the Volkswagen Group gave the go-ahead for Porsche and Audi to enter Formula 1 and approved the corresponding budgets. Doubts arose because VW CEO Herbert Diess announced his resignation on July 22nd but he has been replaced by the CEO of Porsche AG, Oliver Blume, a supporter of the Formula 1 program at Porsche brand level.

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I remember this.

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The Red Bull simply because of reliability. An unreliable car is not a racing car that can win, however fast.
Being able to do the fastest lap is admittedly very hard, and some teams never do it, but it is only one step on a very tall ladder as far as winning the WC is concerned.

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To finish first, first you must finish.

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CoolAF :ok_hand: He’ll be missed.

The special award for innovation should go to Ferrari this season.
Their strategists are finding more ways to fuck up a race than the rest of the field combined

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Astonishing. If Charles didn’t have some issue that was toasting his tyres then who ever thought that tyre choice was a good idea should be fired from a cannon. Some proper pace in the RB today and Merc really closing in.

Looked like Ferrari got caught-out by strategic inflexibility - possibly planning for a wet end to the race and with nothing in the bag when that evaporated…
Merc weren’t faultless in that respect - their favouring split strategies has done them more harm than good for quite a few seasons, yet they looked to have had the pace to have overhauled even the mighty RB if they’d played it right with both drivers…
RB have marginally the best car on the greatest number of circuits, but it’s their strategic and pitlane competence that’s given them this championship.

Binotto should go. He’s fucking useless.

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So, Fred to Aston.

Great for Aston, but fuck’s sake Fred - what’s the point, man?

Lance is gonna get one hell of a beating, but that’s not nearly enough silver lining to this cloud.

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All change.
Alonso to Aston Martin for next year.

thought he was retiring?

Vettel is retiring.